WELCOME TO A SMART PROJECT!

 The following project is currently under progress by Rhode Island teachers. Although in some activities, the teachers have borrowed and adapted ideas from other teachers and current programs and sources on the Internet, the work is their own. The activities are displayed here in their original form , unedited as they have submitted them. In most cases, these are ongoing projects. The names, school districts, and email addresses of the authors are included. Please feel free to contact the authors with any suggestions, comments, or even participation.Teaching and learning are cooperative efforts.

"GEOMETRY WITH QUILTS"

Overview:

By using quilts the children will use various geometric shapes to make patterns. They will be using the nine patch for a grid which will give flexibility but confine the patterns. This will also be coordinating with social studies which in fifth grade is American history.


Objectives:

The students will:

  1. learn basic geometric shapes and learn what shapes are formed when divided, i.e. a square becomes two triangles or two rectangles when divided in half.

  2. create two nine patch squares. One will be used to be exchanged through the Internet, and the other will be used to construct a hot pad that they can quilt and take home.

  3. understand about the history of quilting, and have an appreciation for the artistry in quilts and the type of society that produced quilts.

Resources and Materials:

  1. Pre - drawn nine patch grids
  2. Rulers, construction paper, cloth, fusible web
  3. Overhead projector and transparency showing the nine patch grid

Activities and procedures:

  1. Show examples of pieced quilts and have the students identify the geometric shapes, and try to have them identify nested shapes such as triangles in squares. Talk about why quilts were made and how much history can be put into a quilt.

  2. Introduce vocabulary: quilt, geometric shapes, etc.

  3. Give students nine patch grid, explaining why it is called a nine patch. Do one full square together using the overhead emphasizing accurate use of the ruler.

  4. Give them another grid to create another nine patch on their own. On the back make a map of their patch. Emphasize accuracy and measurement.

  5. After several practice paper quilt blocks, children will be asked to bring in material from home that means something to them and they would like to include in their squares.

  6. Construct the squares from material that has been reinforced with fusible web that can be drawn upon. Students will have to calculate the finished size of the blocks allowing for 1/4 inch seams all the way around. The seams will also be drawn on the webbing backing.

  7. Kidsphere or other Internet bulletin board will be accessed to get another class to exchange blocks. This lesson will be e-mailed to any class wanting to exchange blocks with us.

  8. The librarian will have available books with quilts or quilting as a theme. A short story on the same theme will be read.

Tying it all together:

The students will put their blocks on batting and backing and actually quilt them into a hot pad. They will do a simple 'stitch in a ditch.' The blocks then will be displayed as if a complete quilt. The exchange blocks will be just the pieced square and sent to the recipient class.

Related Topics:

Lessons using Tangrams may be used to reinforce the patterns of geometric shapes.

Quilt Drafting pages from the Internet

The History of Quilting

Our project is posted at the Global SchoolNet WWWeb Site.

Children's books